“REAL LOVE”

“REAL LOVE”

 

This is REAL LOVE—-not that we loved God, but that He LOVED us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.   1 John 4:10

 

LOVE: A SELF-GIVING concern for the WELL-BEING of others.  This LOVE is ACTIVE and FULL of COMPASSION.  This is the kind of LOVE that the TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD should possess.  It is PURE and WITHOUT strings attached.

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corin. 13:4-7, tells us that “LOVE is PATIENT and KIND.  LOVE is NOT JEALOUS or BOASTFUL or PROUD, or RUDE.  It does NOT DEMAND ITS OWN WAY.  It is NOT IRRITABLE, and it KEEPS NO RECORD of BEING WRONGED.  It DOES NOT REJOICE about INJUSTICE but REJOICES whenever the TRUTH WINS OUT.  LOVE NEVER GIVES UP, NEVER LOSES FAITH, it is ALWAYS HOPEFUL, and ENDURES through EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.

We can ONLY possess this kind of LOVE, REAL LOVE, through JESUS CHRIST, who LOVED US UNCONDITIONALLY, NO STRINGS ATTACHED.  However, there are some things that SHOULD be EVIDENT, if you have the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD, LIVING in YOU.  And the ONLY WAY for that to happen is through a RELATIONSHIP with JESUS.

You can be the BEST, SWEETEST, KINDEST, person, GIVING your ALL for others, but if you DO NOT HAVE a RELATIONSHIP with the ALMIGHTY GOD through the SHED BLOOD of JESUS, His ONLY SON then you will NOT be ABLE to EXPERIENCE the REAL LOVE of FATHER GOD,

God showed how much He LOVED us by sending His One and Only Son, Jesus, into the world so that we might have ETERNAL LIFE through HIM.  This is REAL LOVE—NOT that we LOVED GOD, but that He LOVED us AND sent His Son as a SACRIFICE to take AWAY OUR SINS.  (1 John 4:9-10).

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through the SHED BLOOD of JESUS, then you have NOT been a RECIPIENT of REAL LOVE.  This is what YOU MUST DO, in order to become a CHILD of the TRUE, LIVING GOD, you MUST FIRST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS.  Then You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is in HEAVEN, making intercession for YOU before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL lifestyle and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and EXPERIENCE REAL LOVE, and be WILLING to SHARE, what you NOW POSSESS: REAL, UNFAILING, ETERNAL, LOVE.  And ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  And ABLE to ESCAPE ETERNAL LIFE in HELL with ALL it’s HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  Do this SOON, He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Living By Faith”

 “Living By Faith”

 

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance.  He went without knowing where he was going.  And even when he reached the land God promised him, he LIVED THERE BY FAITH.  Hebrews 11:8 & 9

 

Abraham, the MAN of FAITH, our scripture tells us that when God called Abraham to LEAVE HOME and GO to ANOTHER LAND, a LAND that was to be his INHERITANCE.  Abraham didn’t have a CLUE as to WHERE he was going, but he OBEYED GOD and packed up EVERYTHING he owned and he LEFT his and SARAH’S families, and ALL they had and went wherever God led them. 

Abraham, LIVED BY FAITH, because he was like a FOREIGNER, living in tents, in a land that God had PROMISED him.   Abraham, TRUSTED GOD, with a STRONG, UNFAILING FAITH.  He could do this because he was yearning for another CITY—-one whose ARCHITECT and BUILDER is the LORD GOD, ALMIGHTY.  Abraham had his FOCUS on the SPIRITUAL and LOOKING for the PHYSICAL.  Abraham’s FOCUS was on the HOLY CITY of GOD. 

Mankind usually don’t know what God is doing in their life.  And they FOCUS more on the PHYSICAL, and what they KNOW, then TRUSTING in not ONLY the ARCHITECT of the ETERNAL CITY, but also the ARCHITECT of the OPPORTUNITIES in their lives.  When this is the case, they become DISCOURAGED, which can CAUSE FALTERING FAITH.  And they will MISS OUT on the BLESSINGS GOD has waiting for them.  HOW is YOUR FAITH?? 

When a CHRISTIAN is FOCUSED MORE on WORLDLY THINGS and ASPIRATIONS, and neglect the SPIRITUAL THINGS in their life, it can become a CALAMITY.  The TRUE CHILD of GOD should follow Abraham’s example by putting THEIR TRUST solely in GOD PLANS and INTERVENTION. And TRUST Him to do what’s BEST for THEM!

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through the SHED BLOOD of His ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST who GAVE His LIFE to SAVE your SOUL from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.  And to MISS OUT on an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  This is what you MUST do in order to become a CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, Jesus Christ.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and start LIVING BY FAITH, until He RETURNS.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!   

 

“The Nature of God”

 “The Nature of God”

 

The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.  Psalm 25:8

 

When we become TRUE CHILDREN of the Living God, we are not TOTALLY without SIN, because of our SINFUL NATURE, we STILL SIN.  The difference is OUR SINS are FORGIVEN as FAR as the EAST is from the WEST.  But in our SINFUL NATURE we, at times end up LIVING a LIFE that is, in some ways NOT PLEASING to GOD. 

Since God is our Heavenly Father, and He is HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, and DEFINITELY SINLESS, it is our place to seek HIS GUIDANCE, and to SEEK the RIGHT PATH we NEED to take while we are in this LIFETIME.

David, who penned this Psalm, in verses one and two says; “O LORD, I GIVE my life to You . I TRUST in You, my God!”  In this conversation, David is exemplifying a part of God’s Nature, and that is, His TRUSTWORTHINESS, David could TRUST his LIFE to the ALMIGHTY GOD.   And he was at PEACE with doing just that.

Next David exposes a couple of ATTRIBUTES of God’s NATURE, and that is being TRUTHFUL and FAITHFUL. (V5) David says: “Lead me by Your TRUTH and TEACH me, for You are the God who SAVES ME.  All day long I put my HOPE in You.”  David could TRUST God because He is TRUTHFUL, so David says:  “Lead me by Your TRUTH and TEACH me, for YOU are the GOD who SAVES me.”   And David brings out GOD’S FAITHFULNESS in his statement:  “All day long I put my HOPE in YOU.”  This shows us that David was HOPEFUL because he KNEW that GOD is FAITHFUL and TRUE. 

Two more, of the ATTRIBUTES of God’s Nature is, His COMPASSION and UNFAILING LOVE.  And because of these two ATTRIBUTES, we can, like David, experience ALL the ATTRIBUTES of GOD’S NATURE.  He is a LOVING and CARING HEAVENLY FATHER, who wishes that NO ONE SHOULD PERISH, but that ALL WOULD BE ABLE to have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, which is made POSSIBLE by the SHED BLOOD of the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON of GOD, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

If you have NOT GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you cannot experience the ATTRIBUTES of GOD’S NATURE.  And your DESTINED for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  This is what you NEED to do to get on the RIGHT PATH; First, ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY SON, who GAVE His LIFE to SAVE your SOUL from that DESTINY.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE, in Heaven, making intercession for you, before GOD.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and ENJOY the NATURE of the ALMIGHTY GOD!  Do this NOW, while you STILL can!!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!   Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!! 

“Now Is the Right Time”

“Now Is the Right Time”

 

God Says: “At just the right time, I heard you.  On the Day of Salvation, I helped you.”  Indeed, the “right time” is NOW.  Today is the Day of Salvation.   2 Corinthians 6:2, Isa.49:8

 

TIME:  An appointed, fit, due, or proper instant or period.

The Apostle Paul, in verses one and two, is advising the BELIEVERS in CORINTH to NOT ACCEPT God’s marvelous Gift of GRACE in VAIN, or NOT to IGNORE IT.  The writer in Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that there is a TIME set aside for EVERYTHING. A time for EVERY ACTIVITY under heaven.

God has made EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL for its OWN TIME.  He has planted ETERNITY in the human heart, but even so people CANNOT SEE THE whole scope of God’s work from BEGINNING to END. (Ecc. 3:11). God, in His PLANS, has an APPROPRIATE TIME for EVERY ACTIVITY. 

Mankind has the desire to always want MORE, especially because God has put ETERNITY in the HUMAN HEART.  And we long to WANT MORE and to KNOW MORE.  But mankind CANNOT see the WHOLE SCOPE of GOD’S WORK from BEGINNING to END.

 So, the planting of ETERNITY in the HEART of mankind, helps to bring them to the knowledge that there IS a GOD, and hopefully in their SEARCHING, they will FIND the TRUTH that NOW is the RIGHT TIME for them to BELIEVE and ACCEPT the LORD JESUS CHRIST as their SAVIOR and LORD.  And to be ABLE to SPEND their ETERNITY in HEAVEN. 

Don’t delay, NOW is the RIGHT TIME to come to JESUS, GOD’S ONLY SON, who DIED for your SOUL, to be able to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD and to be able to have Heaven as your ETERNAL HOME.  This is what you MUST DO: ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for YOU.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and DO IT NOW, because NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME!!  HE’S WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  DON’T be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

 

“What God Requires of His Children”

 “What God Requires of His Children”

 

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you?’  Deut. 10:12a

Moses was addressing the Nation of Israel, and the next few verses gives us a pretty clear and precise indication of what the HOLY GOD requires of His Children.  Remember that those who have come to JESUS CHRIST for the SALVATION of their SOULS and have been FORGIVEN, are the TRUE CHILDREN of the LIVING GOD.  Those who have NOT done this are His CREATION, but NOT His CHILDREN.  You MUST be BORN AGAIN, in order to become a CHILD of the LIVING GOD.

Being “Born Again”is the process of BELIEVING AND RECEIVING JESUS CHRIST as your SAVIOR and LORD.  You MUST come to the LORD JESUS, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, which means that you are DEEPLY and SINCERELY SORRY for ALL of your SINS.  And that YOU REALLY BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that the ALMIGHTY GOD RAISED Him from DEATH and the GRAVE.  And that He is ALIVE and COMING BACK to RAPTURE ALL of GOD’S CHILDREN.  Then you MUST BE WILLING to COMPLETELY TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. 

You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and DO what is REQUIRED of you as His Child, which is to FEAR, (RESPECT) the LORD your GOD, and to LIVE in a WAY that PLEASES Him. And to LOVE HIM AND serve Him with ALL your HEART and SOUL. And you MUST ALWAYS OBEY the LORDS COMMANDS and DECREES, this is for your OWN GOOD!!  So, DO these things NOW, in order to SECURE an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS and to ESCAPE HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE ONCE you are there. 

When you feel a TUGGING on your HEARTSTRINGS, SURRENDER, it’s the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD, telling you, NOW is the TIME to ACCEPT GOD’S LOVE.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“The Source of Spiritual Life”

 “The Source of Spiritual Life”

 

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, O God.  I thirst for God, the LIVING God.  When can I go and stand before Him?   Psalm 42:1-2

 

For most TRUE BELIEVERS, this feeling of LONGING to be with the ALMIGHTY GOD is NORMAL.  It’s normal because they are a PART of GOD’S FAMILY.  Whenever a family member has to be separated from their family, they LONG to be with their FAMILY once again.  And they have a LONGING to be REUNITED AGAIN, just like the deer does for water. This LONGING is prompted by a DEEP LOVE that they have for EACH OTHER.

So, it is with the PSALMIST, who penned this, Psalm.  Their LOVE for God, their Heavenly Father, is a DEEP, ABIDING LOVE, and they are SO LONGING to be with their CREATOR.  The One who gives them PEACE in the midst of the RAGING STORMS of LIFE.  Alone in His Presence, they can have PEACE and TRANQUILLITY, along with feeling His DEEP ABIDING LOVE, and being able to TRUST the TRUTH of His Holy Word.  Listening to that SMALL, STILL VOICE that gives them HOPE and FORTIFIES their FAITH. 

This kind of a RELATIONSHIP with God is AVAILABLE for the TRUE BELIEVER, who is LONGING to be in the PRESENCE of the ALMIGHTY GOD.  To be able to WORSHIP Him, and to spend time with Him, seeking UNDERSTANDING and WISDOM of His WORD, in order to APPLY it to their SPIRITUAL LIFE, because GOD is the SOURCE of SPIRITUAL LIFE. 

The BEST WAY to FILL that LONGING is to SPEND TIME with Him EVERY DAY, in a QUIET PLACE, with NO distractions.  And you will find that it will be the BEST PART of your DAY.  Because we are a GODLY PEOPLE living in an UNGODLY WORLD, we NEED the GUIDANCE of the SOURCE of SPIRITUAL LIFE. 

If you aren’t LONGING to be with GOD, you might NEED to check your RELATIONSHIP STATUS, it may be LACKING SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE.  You could also check your SPIRITUAL STRENGTH and make SURE it is NOT getting WEAK. If you have NO RELATIONSHIP with the ALMIGHTY GOD, you NEED to DEFINITELY seek one with ALL your HEART.  When you do, it will also CHANGE your ETERNAL DESTINY, from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO way to ESCAPE, once you are there, to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.

This is what you MUST DO:  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, God’s ONLY SON, who GAVE His LIFE to SAVE your SOUL from HELL. And you MUST BELIEVE that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask HIM for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and ALLOW HIM to be YOUR SOURCE of a SPIRITUAL LIFE.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

“The Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit”

 “The Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit”

 

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for.  But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  And the Father who knows All hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.  Romans 8:26,27

 

PRAYER is CONSERVATION with our HEAVENLY FATHER, and His BELOVED SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The TRUE BELIEVERS are the CHILDREN of the LIVING GOD.  And it is the DESIRE of the HEAVENLY FATHER to be able to CONVERSE with His Children. This is part of the FELLOWSHIP that He desires to have with them.  And when there is a CLOSE RELATIONSHIP between them, it enhances the RELATIONSHIP. 

As a TRUE BELIEVER, I can truthfully say that when you have such a RELATIONSHIP with God, you will encounter SUFFERING which is generally the work of the devil.  He is NOT going to leave you alone; he will bring ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that he is allowed to AGAINST every TRUE BELIEVER that seeks a CLOSE RELATIONSHIP with their Heavenly Father.

There is a time coming for the TRUE BELIEVER, when ALL SIN, EVIL and SUFFERING will be set aside.  This time will take place at the REDEMPTION of the BODY. (Resurrection) And it is with CONFIDENT EXPECTATION that the TRUE BELIEVER, awaits the COMPLETION of their ADOPTION, when they are FULLY and TRULLY CHILDREN of the LIVING GOD.  And since we are God’s Children, we are HEIRS of God’s Glory, along with the LORD JESUS CHRIST.   But if we share His Glory we MUST also share His SUFFERING. 

When we become the Children of God, we receive the HOLY SPIRIT of God. And one of the ministries of the HOLY SPIRIT is to HELP us in our WEAKNESS.  For example, when we don’t know what God wants us to PRAY for.  Then the Holy Spirit PRAYS for US with GROANGINGS that cannot be expressed in WORDS.  He is OUR PRAYER WARRIOR and our INTERCESSOR.  And His intercessory prayer is His PRAYER MINISTRY and is in HARMONY with GOD’S WILL.

Do you have that ASSURANCE of having the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD as your INTERCESSOR?  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through His Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, then you do NOT have the HOLY SPIRIT living in YOU, and you are NOT a CHILD OF GOD, you ARE a CREATION of God, but you are NOT a PART of His Family.  But God wants you to be HIS CHILD.  In order to become His Child, and be able to ESCAPE HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and to RECEIVE HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME, YOU MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, who GAVE His LIFE to SAVE your SOUL, and to receive the HOLY SPIRIT as your INTERCESSOR (prayer warrior).  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and His HOLY SPIRIT to INDWELL YOU and PRAY for YOU.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!